Catch Me When I Fall by John Wiltshire

Catch Me When I Fall by John Wiltshire
Review by AB Gayle

What a wonderful book, but the cover is all wrong. It should have angel wings and an Irish wolfhound! I had no idea what to expect when I bought and read this. I'd just finished reading the first book Love is a Stranger in the series about an ex SAS guy and a Spetznaz (which brought back many memories of Special Forces) so I was expecting a bit of the same.

This story is also about an ex-soldier but it is starts off as an amusing comedy, but morphs into something more serious which brought tears to my eyes. Once again there is an adorable wolfhound, but this time being owned by a park Ranger whose job it was to reintroduce wolves into a National Park.

It's a story about a man acknowledging the truth about himself and finding love along the way.

It all starts when his guardian angel falls to earth outside his back door and his life is never the same again.

I could explain the plot and the characters, but I think part of the charm of this book was that I didn't know what was going to happen next and I was kept guessing right to the end. Thoroughly recommended.

The Hiding Place by Wayne Mansfield

The Hiding Place by Wayne Mansfield
New Age Gay Fiction
Reviewed by AB Gayle

YA as far as I can gather covers 12-18 year olds with similarly aged protagonists, no sex and exploring some of life's issues. If so, this book wouldn't be suitable for them which is a pity as it is a fabulous, well written, very moving book that many young adults would unfortunately relate to.

But it's not a romance. It's pure gay fiction, the sort of book I wish more m/m romance writers would read every now and then to gain a real understanding of what growing up gay is all about.

The theme of bullying is so excellently depicted your heart just bleeds for the protagonist and the author himself as Wayne Mansfield admits that many of the scenes depicted happened to him.

I think what really resonated for me were the side characters. Those that could have/should have/would have helped.

In the Author's note, he writes:
"If you know or suspect that someone is being bullied, please take the time to talk to them. They may not bring it up themselves, or want to talk about it, but knowing someone is there, to support and talk to, is often empowering."
I for one am prepared to promote the book as much as I can as I believe that is a great way to show support.

The style of writing is good, with most done in third person, however at times the protagonist slips into fantasizing and those sections are written first person, present tense. This works brilliantly and adds just the right feel to the book as you're swept away in dreams of what the world should be like.

I've never read any of Wayne's books before as I don't tend to go for dark erotica, however if and when I do read them, I'm sure I will have a much better appreciation on where those ideas come from after reading what he felt growing up.

Unfortunately, you won't go away after reading "The Hiding Place" feeling that life is now a bed of roses. As Wayne also says in his Author's note:
And it is a struggle. I can also tell you, first-hand, that these scars last well into adulthood. These scars can take the form of depression and other mental disorders, inability to form lasting relationships, trust issues, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, anxiety or anger issues, and sometimes suicide.
Sometimes I wonder if by enduring suffering and hardship and surviving, we can learn lessons and gain the strength to help others. I hope that is the case in this respect and Wayne has found the strength to survive. If this is a good example of his writing, that alone shows he has something very valuable to add to the world.

Definitely worth reading.

Bite the Pillow: Six on Sex by Philip Mackenzie, Jr

Bite the Pillow: Six on Sex
Review by AB Gayle
A solid 5 stars for the first story.

After an overdose of mm romance, it was great reading more believable scenarios of young gay men as friends, lovers, enemies, frenemies who hang out together despite their faults and foibles. In their world, sex is an extension of themselves and can be good and bad at the same time.
I wondered if I would ever enjoy fucking, because it seemed like nothing but pain. But falling asleep made it worth every inch he forced into me.
Doesn't that tell you about how lonely he must have felt at night alone in bed before that encounter?

I'll add to this review later as some of these stories need thinking about. Since reading it, I discovered that the first one is autobiographical and that alone makes it worth a reread. I loved this bit:
I was scared of what I wanted.
Because wanting to have sex with another man is what makes men gay. But this admission was immediately followed by a desire for everyone around him to disappear, even to the extent of killing them off mentally to allow the freedom to explore this longing which:
I didn’t want to know that that was what I wanted.
On the surface, these are six stories about gay sex, so the sex is important, not just for how wonderful it makes the character feel (or not as the case may be) but because it just “is.”
Sex was penance for lying and payment for safety, and when I got caught I did it again, and again. Until it stopped working, and I found myself again chasing the blue flame acorss the horizon.
Underneath the description of this physicality, the writer subtly explores the relationships and reasons behind the couplings, giving readers an insight into what gay men faced on a day to day basis. But in the first one, it is up to the reader to interpret what is not said as much as what is said. Each encounter is a story in itself.

He builds on these real encounters in the stories that follow. Using the characters and probably giving the essence of the individuals or relationships, if not the facts.

The first, though, is pure poetry.
Along the silent paths of years I returned to the fires, and to the men who light them. We are older, and our passion is more complex and less easily tossed aside. We have worked and earned the right to ask for what we want.
Era is everything when reading gay fiction. Until recently, society's attitude to homosexuality forged fear, frustration and confusion in the minds of men who "discovered" they were gay. They hung out together even if they had nothing else in common because like-minded men were the only people they trusted.

Although no time frame is given, I suspect many of these stories were set twenty or thirty years ago. There is none of the current acceptance by either society or gay men themselves at discovering they are gay.
Desire is a mirror and I am nothing or no one without its reflection.
This line conjures up images of someone still coming to terms with who he is. Seeing this love for men as being vital to his being, but a part of him wistfully rejecting that notion. The current "gay man" refuses to let himself be defined by his gayness and fights against that classification. He is more than who he chooses to have sex with. In those days a "gay man" often had little choice and questioned why he made that particular choice and why some encounters that shouldn't have worked did and others which should have worked didn't.

This confusion was touching and possibly due as much to age and a lack of positive role models. Not really knowing what or who you want because you're not yet sure who you are.

The book is worth reading just for the first section alone. I loved the images the segments conjured up in my mind.

Bad Case of Loving You by Laney Cairo

Bad Case of Loving You

By Laney Cairo

The abridged review…

OhMyGod, OhMyGod, OHMYGOD … How frickin' hot is this book?! … ungh … this was kinky fuckery without the bells and whistles … no dark, brooding clubs or leather daddies here … just raw, vibrant, smut … awesome stuff … by the way … if you have a glove fetish, this is your kind of porn … just sayin' … these boys like their dirty-sex, clean!

Thorough review…

There is a lot of things that make me love this book … I love the Britishisms and quirky language … I adore the realism of the medical back story … and the pièce de résistance is the relationship between Matthew and Andrew.

BDSM is often written with overt protocol and behaviour that I can’t empathise with … in this story, Laney has shown a couple who satisfy their partners’ sexual needs without the elaborate drama of most books with kink … she makes the innocuous latex glove into an exotic sex toy and her descriptions of the sex are subtle enough that one can use one’s imagination to fill in the gaps … I like to be able to use my own inner eye to complete the picture painted in words by an author and Laney managed this masterfully.

In addition to the kinky fuckery and wonderful characters, there is a back story of the gritty reality of a public hospital system … I learned my trade in a hospital just like this … I left home and moved into a world of blood, gore, bodily fluids and medical practices that skirt the legal line at the tender age of seventeen … rarely do I read a book that captures the atmosphere of that life so eloquently … people who work in that environment tend to work hard a party harder and Laney portrayed this expertly … the stories I could tell about those years would make your hair curl and I love the way reading this book transports me back to those times.

In conclusion, although not a new book; although not appealingly packaged; although needing a bit of polishing with an editor; this book is a wonderful, smexy read, and highly recommended.

Jessica Wabbit (the Aussie)

Objects in the Rearview Mirror by F. E. Feeley Jr

Objects in the Rearview Mirror by FE Feeley Jr

Really enjoyed this, and normally I'm not a fan of paranormal or ghost stories. The author really made me care for both the ghosts and for the people who encounter them. Mark and Alan's story is all kind of sad.

But what I really liked was the theme of the story, ie dealing with fear.
Finding a way to cope with a bad past.

It's one of those books that doesn't fit the mm romance tag and should be seen as what it is, a cracking good story that just by chance deals with gay characters in a loving relationship.

Just Don't Mess with Us: Family Matters by Andrew Ashling

Just Don't Mess With Us: Family Matters by Andrew Ashling
Review by AB Gayle 

I laughed a lot in this one. But warning, at times it's not very politically correct. But any book that's got this in it is worth reading:
When I finally came in him, we were both relaxed. Under the shower he sighed: “You're better than Risperdal or Zoloft, you know.”
“And you, my heart, can get me without a doctor's prescription,” I replied, just a tad self-satisfied, “though I must warn you that I've been told that I am quite addictive.”

And I liked this bit too about the youngest of the four, a twink who doesn't know the meaning of gentle when it comes to fucking:
“Beat that ass, Alan, for real this time,” he said. “I deserve it. You can do it, I know you can do it. Just imagine that this ass is the root of all evil.”
As far as I and my still smarting hole were concerned, the root of all evil was on the other side of his anatomy.
“Just imagine that this ass instigated all problems in the world, Alan, and whip it. Whip it good. This ass is the primal (sic) reason for world famine. This ass is part of the axis of evil. This ass is the cause of global warming.”

But one star off for the typos and the non-con humiliation. Mind you I don't think you're meant to take them seriously....

Boystown Series by Marshall Thornton

Boystown by Marshall Thornton

I just finished reading/devouring the first six installments of the Boystown series. In three days! Yes, the series is that good. Now I have to find a way to do justice to the books without giving all kinds of spoilers. So I apologize in advance, if I fail at that.

Boystown is a neighborhood in Chicago, named that for the concentration of gays and gay businesses in the area. It was one of the first recognized gay villages in the USA.

Our hero is Nick Nowak, a Polish former cop. When he and his progressive boyfriend were gay bashed, Nick is outed against his wishes. The Chicago PD is notoriously corrupt, but it’s the standard anti-gay attitudes of the day that force Nick to resign.

He might as well have died in that attack as far his Catholic family is concerned. Not only do they refuse to have a “fag” in their family, but he chose to become a private eye.

The Boystown stories follow Nick as he solves crimes, finds the missing, and saves lives. This is a series of detective stories and should not be mistaken for a romance, although there are elements of romance present.

The stories take place in the early 1980’s, when I was still in high school. All the little bits of news that get thrown in to establish the era are things that I remember: the attempted assassinations of President Reagan and the Pope, the Tylenol poisonings.

With the exception of GRID. It was called AIDS by the time I was aware of the disease syndrome.

The way the different characters deal with the disease varies from “I’ve either already got it or I don’t” to “I’m never having sex again.” In between are men who chose how their life would end, men who find God, and men who learn how to use a condom.

This was an era when condom use was mainly to prevent pregnancy; although it was mentioned in high school health class, very few people were using them to prevent the spread of STDs. Maybe that was different in the cities.

Nick is a complicated man capable of fidelity, but not always practicing it. A “happily” closeted man, forced out by someone he trusted. A protector, who loses that sense of personal rightness when forced to protect himself and others. But overall, a good man as even his harshest critic is eventually forced to admit.

If you haven’t read the series, you should give the first story a try. You won't be able to stop there.

This is gay fiction, not m/m romance. So leave your expectations at the door.

Driving into the Sun by Dev Bentham

Driving into the Sun by Dev Bentham
Review by A.B. Gayle

This makes it two out of two for this author's books so far for me. The character's backgrounds form an important part of her stories. They have affected who the character is and the issues they are dealing with.

Perhaps an expert in the field may be able to find an error or two, but from the point of view of a novice in the subject, her dealing in this case with a Native American seemed respectful and informed.

The complexity and gradual, realism of forging a strong bond won't satisfy the readers who insist on insta-lurv and perfect characters, but boy does it make a welcome change because of that.

And the last scene on the ferry at Seattle was extra good as I did that on my long road trip there earlier this year. She got that part spot on. Right down to the clunking as cars rolled into place. Magic.

Now to see if she can make it three from three.

A Dish Served Cold by Andrew Ashling

A Dish Served Cold by Andrew Ashling
Review by A.B. Gayle

This is one of those rare occasions when the Epilogue not only works brilliantly but adds a whole new dimension to the book which made me want to read it all over again.

There's a lot going on beneath the surface. Take the time to get to know the situation and the characters and, because it's first person POV, remember that the narrator can sometimes be harsher on himself than he needs to be.

Some reviewers have reacted to the blurb, which is understandable. This bit particularly: “There is one upside to almost getting raped. It proves that you're at least desirable to someone.”

Those sentences need to be read with a sardonic tone rather than a heartfelt one. The narrator (and assumably the author's) reaction to rape is by no means condoning it. Perhaps the full quote from the book sums the situation up better after the narrator averted an attempted rape by use of words and threats.

“You're awfully quiet, dear” my mother said in the car on the way home.

“Oh, I'm just a little bit tired, that's all,” I answered.

In fact, I was mulling over the events of that afternoon. Why hadn't I told on Geoffrey? What had tipped the scales? Well, I was not too sure. I truly pitied the guy. It couldn't be easy being him, what with his looks, and his craving for young boys. And like my mother always said: “Nobody deserves to be made a slave. I don't care what they're supposed to have done. It not only degrades the victim, it also degrades us as a society”. I tended to agree with her. If you think that was noble of me, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. There was also a considerable measure of self preservation involved. I would have had to recount the whole sordid affair in embarrassingly intimate details to the police and almost certainly repeat it again publicly in court. The story would have been all over the papers. Who needed this kind of notoriety? School was hard enough without being known as the boy who almost got fucked in the ass. No, thank you very much, it was enough that Geoffrey had believed I was prepared to involve the authorities.

Thoughts of an altogether different nature raged also through my mind. Until today I had paid little attention to my looks. It had come as a surprise to me that my appearance could drive somebody as far as to lose control and throw all caution to the wind. As distasteful as the whole episode had been, it was also kind of flattering in a weird, twisted way. Maybe, I thought, I can make Sean Denham see what Geoffrey Singer had seen.

That quote in the blurb is trying to convey the narrator's attitude to life in general rather than his attitude to rape itself.

In fact, the following shows that not only does he hate the act, but he pities the man who actually commits rape (later in the story) on another character who had made his body freely available to a basketball team:
"If only he had let him. If only he had asked. Instead, the dirt bag had masturbated in him."

The story is, in essence, about a young man gradually developing a sense of what's right and wrong in his society and acting on it. He hates bullies who abuse their power and hurt those who aren't in a position to fight back, on all levels: sexual, psychological and eventually political.

Port in a Storm by Douglas Black

I really enjoyed this unconventional tale of being swept off your feet by a mysterious lover. I would have jumped at the chance to go somewhere--anywhere!--with Jake. It's a good thing Alex was a little smarter than that.

I really liked the chemistry between Jake and Alex. I must admit that I was rooting for Jake from the beginning. There was just something about him that I found very intriguing.

Alex is a young man in need of being reminded that he didn't have to be what his parents thought was best for him. Jake provided the impetus he needed to find his own way in life. His mother had done an amazing job of surgically implanting those apron strings.

And of course, the plentiful, hot and varied sex.

You would never know that Mr Black's brilliant debut novel was originally published without benefit of editors. He has recently revised and republished the story with Loose-Id. I intended to add that book to my shelves when it is released October 14th.

And just look at that new cover!

The Other Man edited by Paul Fahey

The Other Man

An Anthology of Essays on Infidelity collected by Alan Fahey
review by A.B. Gayle
Gay non-fiction

To say that “The Other Man” is all about infidelity is short-changing the subject and defining the concept by very narrow values. While it’s true that for many readers and reviewers, infidelity is a deal breaker, the fact that these essays are all based on actual experiences makes them an intriguing study of this taboo topic.

Each essay shows a different aspect of the picture, making the issue less black and white and much more complex.

Firstly, Jeffrey Ricker details how while young, single and desperate he often found himself hooking up with married men when he used online dating services.

Glen Retief discovered while living in a country where gay men were forced to remain in the closet, that his rival was not a single person but many.

The more traditional concept is explored in the next story by Jason Schneiderman. After being cuckolded by his last boyfriend the author had been determined to ease his way into his next relationship: “no longer falling into bed on first dates” only to discover that the man he is platonically dating already has a boyfriend who lives in another city. Unwittingly, he has become “The Other Man.” They decide to make it “just sex” and the person he is with is candid about their relationship with his current boyfriend. The strange thing is, that by eliminating the pressure of forming a committed relationship and worrying about love, the author relaxes and finds he really enjoys the time they spend together as well as the great sex. Time doesn’t stand still though and gradually things change.

The next two stories, by Austin Bunn and Tom Mendicino also involve straying husbands but are totally different.

Some of the contributors to the anthology are authors, others have blogs. This was how I discovered Jeff Mann whose story visits an experience he drew on for a few of his stories.

The strength of the anthology rests in the variety of slants each author contributes to the topic. The writing style is varied and the prose flows smoothly. No single story stands out or drags the others down by being inferior. I only found one typo: palette for palate.

I found the book an intriguing study of a subject that is instantly dismissed in MM romance as a deal breaker. Infidelity or just Open Relationships are a lot more than that. For many gay men, it is precisely this narrow view of the subject that turns them off reading MM romance. Perhaps if more females read this anthology they would see why.

It is a testament to the ability of the writers that these essays are as entertaining as well as informative. We are privileged to see honest glimpses of their lives.

There is a longer version of this review on my Goodreads shelf.

Tinseltown by Barry Brennessel

And now for something different... This is not your typical romance, and is not explicit, but it's one heck of an example of fine storytelling.

OMG! I love Barry Brennessel's voice, and Tinseltown is one incredible read. Micah is an adorable character who makes me feel downright sane! My quirks are nothing compared to his. He is an average guy, deliciously flawed, looking for love, and totally captivating.

The first time I saw the title for this book, I assumed it would be about Hollywood. It's not, although the protagonist is studying film. Loved finding out about "Tinseltown" though, and Micah's adventures there.

I found it really clever how the author used film and television devices to gently push the story along. Micah's life definitely has it's ups and downs, aided and abetted by his own personal Greek chorus and other narrative voices, which I absolutely adored.

The story tells of Micah's journey, how he matures (as much as he can), until he finally reaches a place in his life that is right, though far removed where he'd once thought he'd be. Lot's of TV and movie trivia here, and some references brought back memories. All the characters, no matter how small a role they played, were fully realized--some you may even think you know. All in all, Tinseltown is a delightful, if occasionally sad tale about those who enter Micah's life for a reason, a season, or forever.

I cannot recommend this novel highly enough, and it's very easy to see why it won a Lambda Literary nomination and a Rainbow Award.

And who knew three little words could be so funny? "We do that."

The Billabong by Jack Byrne

The Billabong by Jack Byrne – four out of five stars

Jim Kelly has lost his family and now fights to eke out a living in the Outback of the late 1800’s. It’s backbreaking work in a less than hospitable environment. The multitude of deadly wildlife is only one of the hazards he faces.

When one of those dangers nearly takes his life, Mark Turner comes to his aid. Mark is a man of secrets and contradictions. Jim knows the man is hiding something. But since Mark saved his life, he’s willing to overlook that, especially as he finds himself drawn closer and closer to him.

When Mark finds himself in danger, Jim must decide if he is willing to risk everything to help the other man.

I very much enjoyed the descriptions of life in the Outback, and of the land itself. It’s fairly obvious that the author knows what he is talking about as far as animal handling and ranching practices are concerned.

Even though The Billabong is not the author’s first work, Mr Byrne is still new to the scene. I’m glad to report that with a few minor exceptions, the writing style is well developed.

The Billabong is a classic slow burn, with aspects of hurt/comfort and gay for you.

Hourglass by Jane Davitt

Hourglass by Jane Davitt
review by A.B. Gayle

Have you ever picked up a book, started reading it and gone WTF? Hourglass did that for me.

I bought it purely because I love Jane Davitt's writing. I didn't read the blurb first and found Ben - the guy whose POV the first chapter is written in - frankly obnoxious. Then Samantha his daughter arrived on the scene....

Now, I'm not one to stop reading because of unlikeable characters and have even rated books higher if the author can sell me a story where the main protagonists are less than perfect (Bad Company), but when I first picked up "Hourglass", it didn't grab me.

Once I got the hang of what was going on though, I enjoyed the structure. The characters and their romance is one level, but the underlying circumstances with the real life parallels to shows like Torchwood and the little digs at the movie industry and the workers in it are worth reading for their own sake.

Ben grew on me as an interrupting narrator and even the presence of the daughter became more than an eye-rolling diversion. In fact, seeing the couple from Ben's POV adds another dimension to the story. The cynical onlooker. Part of the "problem" people have with the book is the amount of "telling" versus "showing" there is, particularly bits from Ben's POV where we gets lines like this:
"The read-through a week earlier had been a disaster. Morden and Simons had sat as far apart as was humanly possible at a round table and said their lines to each other with an icy politeness that robbed them of meaning, or a bored mumble. Sure, no one expected a cold reading to be Oscar-material, but the tension had been palpable. The only time they'd behaved like professionals was when the script called for them to talk to someone else. For those scenes, they'd taken their heads out of their asses and actually given him something resembling a glimmer of hope that this movie would be halfway watchable."

Now, in most m/m romances you would get this scene "shown", but then it would have to be in one of the character's heads, so it would have been uneven as neither would ever admit to themselves they were being pig-headed. So, by telling it from Ben's perspective, we are able to picture the scene ourselves simply because we already know the characters so well. Sure, we're not spoon-fed with it by seeing it in detail, but I could still picture everything that happened.

Perhaps that's why I enjoyed the book so much. There was freedom for me to fill in the gaps.

(There is a longer version of this review on Goodreads)

But to sum up. If you’re reading m/m romances to get a quick sexual titillation, then maybe this isn’t for you. (The sex/romance is there. I can point out the page numbers if you like!) If you’re looking for your standard boy meets boy, they have a bit of conflict but get together in the end, well that’s also there but that’s not all that’s there. If you’re looking for a story about two men in love presented in a way that suits that love, then that’s there in spades.

If you’re sick of the same old, same old and despair of the standard of m/m romances, then give “Hourglass” a burl, but first lose the expectations, lose the preconceptions about how m/m romances should be written. Love the characters for who they are, enjoy watching them connect and discover that there is a relationship beyond the sex. Savor the carefully crafted touches that make this book stand out far above the crowd.

It could have been written as a straight gay romance, but by “wrapping” up a simple love story and presenting it in a box, interleaved with sheets of “tissue paper” Jane has given me, at least, an unforgettable ride of a read.

Or, in this case, in the words of Samantha who by now I liked nearly as much as her Dad: "That was just perfect," she declared.

5.5 stars rounding down to 5.

Pop Goes the Weasel by Stephen Osborne

Pop Goes the Weasel by Stephen Osborne 

This was a really fun story. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel Rat Bastard.

Weasel is one of those people who things just happen to. Good things, strange things, and funny things...

I cracked up multiple times and was hoping my coworkers wouldn't want to know why I found it funny when Weasel got mistaken for his nonexistent female cousin.

It is very well written, with an eye for the outrageous.

If you like a sweet romance with some humor, this is definitely for you.

Better than New by Charley Descoteaux

Better than New by Charley Descoteaux is one of the hundreds of free stories written for the Goodreads MM Romance Group.

This is only a short story – it comes in at just over 8000 words, but that doesn’t make it any less wonderful. I love it when a writer can do so much with so few words.

Better than New is the story of Theo and Ben. Theo is a college student, still recovering from an accident in which he lost part of a leg. Ben is the owner of his local coffee shop, The Broken Cup, and Theo has been working up the courage to approach him for months.

This is a story full of broken cups and broken people and how, sometimes, putting them together again and making their flaws shine can be a magical process.

This really is a very simple story, but it’s beautifully written and the characters just come alive. You know that feeling you get when people on the page seem real? This story had that in spades.

And it's moving, and lovely, and made me wish I drank coffee.

Read it.

The Worst Best Luck by Brad Vance

The Worst Best Luck by Brad Vance
review by A.B. Gayle

Wow! What a delightful surprise “The Worst Best Luck” is. All I knew of Brad Vance was that he’d had a book, “Luke's Brutal Abduction”, banned by Amazon. That was pure raunchy gay erotica kink, but this book is totally different.

The sex scene at the start was hot, but even better was the banter at the advertising agency where Peter worked. There were enough cracks at the fakeness of the industry and the people in it to really show the viewpoint character and the world he lived in.

Okay I thought, so far so good.

But then came a couple of fantastic flashbacks that wove beautiful pictures of children growing up in radically different circumstances.

The clichéd poor kid with the sick mother and the rich kid with helicopter parents trying to ensure he got into Harvard.

Now the author can’t have experienced both childhoods, so the fact that both these felt so real shows ME that he can do his research and does it well. We’ve all seen these clichés on shows, but what I like is that he sees these from a fresh angle. This was also demonstrated in “Luke’s Brutal Abduction”. The clichés are there but so are some wonderful different snippets that I haven’t seen elsewhere. Eg Matt’s mother giving him a hard time because he played the guitar instead of the cello and he preferred Galbraith to Segovia. (Not that she would have known who either of these people were)

I suspect from blog comments and things he said in the podcast that he either doesn’t write fiction for a living or he has had some exposure to traditional New York publishing. I don’t for a minute buy his Amazon profile: “Brad is a college student in Reno, Nevada who enjoys hiking, snowboarding, theater, and writing hot man-on-man action.” Unless he’s a mature age college student. But that doesn’t really matter.

What does matter is that this guy can write. And through writing he is able to make some pretty heavy statements on the state of the world around him.

On the surface it’s hot man on man action, but hiding beneath that hot sex is a decent story, well rounded characters, interesting secondary character, eg Lydia the Worthington Admissions Counsellor who tries to help Matt cope with his ambitious mother.

None of these things get in the way of the plot. Flashbacks can often be annoying, but in this case, the introduction of this backstory AFTER the gun has been placed on the wall, turns it from a Colt 45 into a double barrel shotgun.
I had a few little niggles, minor formatting problems. Two people called Lydia. And the author himself expressed dissatisfaction in his blog, claiming he rushed it and it could be better. Any book can. However, it still stands head and shoulders alongside a lot of mediocre efforts I'm reading these days.

Definitely worth a read, and if you enjoyed this, then check out “A Little Too Broken” which is even better!

As for the Banned Book? Luke’s Brutal Abduction was all about a porn star who had a side business kidnapping people at their own request. It is also well written, the characters are eventually likable and believable and the kink being more inventive and therefore real.

Brad self publishes and his stories cover a wide scope of the genre. I suspect he’s trying to work out what sells best. At least that’s the impression I got reading through his blog bradvanceerotica.wordpress.com
I found a podcast with him here: http://youtu.be/ubdLtUSkxKY
and when he does manage to get a word in edgewise, his intelligence shines through (as it does in his books). Plus he has a real sexy voice!

August Ice by Dev Bentham

August Ice by Dev Bentham – four out of five stars

August Ice by Dev Bentham takes place in the Antarctic. You don't find many books in this setting. I really enjoyed the descriptions of life in the harsh environment. I felt the story was well-written, with a mature feel to the prose. The story covers a closeted lifestyle and alcoholism. Focusing on why someone would be driven to either, and still find redemption on the other side.

Our hero, Max Conway is a former Navy Seal and the lead safety diver at McMurdo Station. He spends half his year as a commercial diver, drinking and hitting the gay bars. But he's really just making time until he can return to his one true love, the beauty and peace that lies under the Antarctic ice.

He wakes up his last day in Christchurch, New Zealand, in a gorgeous man's bed. Too bad he can't remember the night before and the hunk takes exception to this. But that doesn't really matter, because in less than 24 hours he will be where he really wants to be and nothing else matters.

At the bottom of the world, Max keeps a lid on his vices. He drinks, but has to keep a handle on it. And there's no way in hell he can indulge his interest in men. Not with the rest of the tough, hard-drinking, homophobic divers he calls friends. But that's a price he's willing to pay.

Too bad that nameless hunk shows up for his exclusive one-way flight to the icy continent. A glare and a snub later, Max is hoping the sanctimonious asshole is headed for one of the other Antarctic stations. Because no matter how hot the guy, someone somewhere is sick of his shit—and Max is that guy.

Professor Andre Dubois isn't only gorgeous, he's out and proud. Oh, and he doesn't touch a drop, looking down his nose every time Max does. But Max just can't seem to stay away from the man who is so dangerous for his job and his peace of mind.

Max has to fight himself and the deadly Antarctic ice sheets, if he wants more than just a piece of the hot French scientist.

This story was previously published with LooseId in 2012 and appears to have been extensively rewritten. So if you read it then, you may want to give it a second go.